China dismisses reports of putting bombers on 'high alert' to counter North Korea

Refuting the reports of Beijing putting its air force bombers on 'high alert' after tensions in the Korean Peninsula, the Ministry of National Defense said that the Chinese forces are keeping their standard operational readiness and conducting normal training.

'Chinese forces are keeping their standard operational readiness and conducting normal training along the border between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),' Xinhua quoted a statement from the Information Bureau of China's Ministry of National Defense as saying on Friday.

Earlier, there were reports in the U.S. media that China has put its land-attack, cruise-missile-capable bombers 'on high alert' and adding there has also been an extraordinary number of Chinese military aircraft being brought up to full readiness through intensified maintenance. The reports emerged in the wake of multiple North Korean missile tests.